Black Sheep
by lonlonmilkshake
Summary: Midna liked Link, she really did. Not quite as much as she liked his doppelganger though.
1. The Arrival

Clinking the massive lock and it's chains fell off the door. Link slid it open and inside there were only a few pots and a fairly large hole in the center.

"Its down there Link, I know it! Come on what are you waiting for?" she said.

Silent as usual Link only nodded and proceeded towards the hole. She however did not delve back into his shadow as she normally did. She was eager to get the final fused shadow; she was more than ready to get out of this world and back to her own. Yet something held her back. There was more to this room than was apparent she could sense it. Reaching out with her powers she attempted to tap into whatever presence was in here. As soon as she did her vision went blank, all she could see was a harsh white light. Not the light of the spirits she had met recently, no that light was warmer this was cold even sinister. Then she saw something, a lone tree bare of any leaves, and looking down she saw she was in a vast but shallow pool of water. Not knowing what else to do she proceeded across the water to the tree.

When she reached the tree she found out nothing more than she had seen looking at from a distance. It was a tree, nothing more, nothing less. How useless! She needed to find a way out of here, wherever this was. The light realm had been bad enough but at least she knew what it was when she found herself there. Now she hadn't the slightest clue where she was, nor how to get out here and worst of all she had no one to help her. She hated to admit it but she needed others' help. In this impish form she wasn't quite helpless but she couldn't get home on her own either. Zelda had saved her from death, and if not for Link she never would have gotten the two fused shadows she already had. Thinking of Link made her remember, maybe she wasn't alone in here. Link hadn't dived into that hole yet when she was transported here! Or had he? There was only one way to find out.

"LINK! HEY LINK! ARE YOU HERE? IF YOU ARE A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!" she yelled into the distance.

She was met with nothing but silence.

"Fine then! Just let me die and rot down here! That is if I could rot… well you know what I mean!"

She flew north away from the tree hoping to find something she had missed. She coasted above the water for a minute at most when she saw something ahead, she flew faster eager and hoping for a way out. When she got closer though she realized it was another tree, and upon getting even closer she realized it was the same tree. She looked behind her and saw only the familiar stretch of water with a horizon of white light.

"Damn, there really is nowhere to go." she said with a sigh and she flew up and perched herself on a branch.

She reclined on the branch and stared off into the distance. It was then that she saw the figure whose very shape she was so accustomed to emulating.

"Link!" she called.


	2. The Meeting

"Link? Link can you hear me?" she raised her voice and continued to call his name.

Concerned she drifted down from her perch and glided over to him. As she grew closer she grew even more concerned. This wasn't Link. It couldn't be, he looked almost identical except his hair was black, his skin was grey and all of his clothes were as dark as the shadows of the twilight realm. She slowed her approach and once she had finally reached this shadow it remained still. She stared at it for only a moment before reaching out to touch it. Something about it transfixed her, it was identical to Link in form the only obvious difference being it's coloration. As soon as her small hand made contact with it's chest she felt a flutter beneath her palm. A heartbeat. So it was alive, it wasn't just a shadow or an illusion created by this place. She lifted her head to look at it's face and had to suppress a gasp.

It's eyes must have opened when she had touched it. They were not ordinary eyes, they were pupil-less and their deep red color made gave them the appearance of small pools of blood. Disturbing though they had been at first glance she found herself unable to break eye contact. As she continued to stare she felt a hand close around her wrist, the grip was not hard or aggressive. It seemed rather benevolent. She looked down at its hand around her wrist, then returned her eyes to its face. She had so many questions though there was one she had to ask first.

"Can you speak?" she inquired timidly. Normally she wasn't this timid or this considerate. With Link she had always been blunt, this felt different though. She sensed that she needed to handle this situation delicately.

It only blinked. It's mouth opened but no sound came out, as if the air were caught in it's lungs. It closed it's mouth ceasing what it realized was a futile effort to form any kind of noise. It dropped it's head for a moment and closed it's eyes as if in deep thought. Only a few seconds later it lifted it's head and met her gaze. It was then she heard the voice.

_I used to speak, not anymore though it would seem. _

It had not moved it's mouth, that she was certain of, this was not it's voice then, but rather it's thoughts. She had never known of anything other than a spirit capable of thought projection. This was thing, whatever it was, was strange indeed. It had the powers of a spirit but with a corporeal body.

_I am not a spirit. At least I do not believe I am._

"Excuse you! Projecting your thoughts for communication is fine by me, but I would like you to stay out of my head. Thank you very much."

_I'm sorry. I have been here for a long time and I never knew how to carry myself around others. _

"You're forgiven. Now since you invaded my thoughts will you allow me an invasive question? Heh, I'm going to ask it anyway who am I kidding"

She had decided to abandon her previously tentative manner, this thing seemed to be docile enough.

"You look somewhat, well evil, and yet you seem so polite. Why is that?"

_It is because I was created for evil. I was created to destroy Link, though not the Link you know. I was born from his reflection in this pool we stand in now; I was an embodiment of everything dark in him. Once he defeated me though that darkness it fled me, but not without leaving it's imprint all over my body. Without it though I have no purpose, why did I not die? Why have I been in this place for generations? Why are you the one who was able to make it here? I have as many questions as you._

"You speak so formally, lighten up a bit! I understand being in a bit of a glum mood after going through what you have, but here's the plan: we are going to get you out of here!"

_I don't think that is possible. The last time anyone was in here was the boy named Link. Only after he felled me was the way out opened. _

She felt immeasurable pity for him. She had tried to put on a façade of optimism, though even she knew he was probably right. After all he would be more familiar with this place than anyone else. She knew she had to leave to help Link save Hyrule, and to save her own realm from tyranny. Yet she couldn't leave him. He wasn't just some shadow, nor was he a spirit. He was a boy, maybe a little old to be called a boy but still a boy who had been trapped in here alone for generations.

"I will find a way. I'm not leaving here without you." she promised him with a smirk.


	3. The Escape

She knew that no matter how far they traveled they would never find a way out of this chamber. Killing this other Link was not an option, normally she would not have thought twice, but she knew he was special. She didn't quite know why he was special but something told her killing him to get herself out of here would come back to hurt her eventually.

"I've got it!" she exclaimed, other Link remained expressionless as usual. "How could I be so stupid? It should have been obvious from the moment I met you that you were my ticket out."

_Yet, you do not mean to kill me? You must know something I do not._

"Of course I'm not going to kill you." she replied with a wink and a tap on the very tip of his nose. She noticed the faintest trace of a smile. "Good to know he can show some emotion, maybe he is Hylian after all." She thought.

"I believe that I got in here because I sensed and subsequently latched onto your presence, brining me here. My theory is that I can do it again, though I will seek Link's presence rather than yours. Hopefully I'll be able to find it and get us out of here. I also believe if you hold onto me as I leave you will be transported with me."

_ Are you certain you want me to come? It sounds as though my presence may be detrimental to your escape._

"Don't worry about me pretty boy, I've been dragging your twin out there around for a while, I can handle you."

With that he held out his hands palms facing her, she put her tiny palms flat against his. Their fingers intertwined as she shut her eyes and began to stretch out her senses searching for Link.

"Ah! I think… I think I found him, hold on!"

The now familiar bright white light again obscured her vision. For a moment she panicked not being able to see her companion, but she felt his fingers squeeze her hand and she was reassured that he was not only still there, but was also making through this process.

Then the light began to fade and she could see again. They were in what seemed to be an underground lake, there were stone walls all around and as they descended a beige sandy bottom littered with plants and broken monuments became clearer. Admiring the cavern they were submerged in she remained completely oblivious to the plight of both Links until she saw a monstrous creature swim by, with a small form latched onto it's back. Link seemed to be handling himself, it was the other Link who she had to worry about. She noticed him struggling to breathe. Damn it! She had forgotten that he wasn't a spirit and needed to breathe, and unlike the Link zooming about on a sea creature right now, he did not have the Zora's Armor that allowed him to do so underwater.

Using her magic she summoned her remaining power into her hair, forming it into a large hand. Grabbing onto his waist she began to push upwards through the water hoping to reach the surface before it was too late. She didn't waste most of her energy getting him out of that purgatory just to let him die in this hellish place.

She was soon able to see the surface of the water, and even though she was tired she seemed to be moving closer to it at a much faster rate than she had moments before. Lifting the other Link above her head she allowed him to surface first, following herself moments later. He seemed to be unconscious but still breathing.

"Good to know all of my trouble wasn't for nothing." She muttered to herself.

Then she noticed that she was falling. Well she wasn't falling but the water level was swiftly dropping, lowering them the entire way down to the sandy basin. Once on the flat ground she laid her burden on the soft ground. She quickly made sure he had survived the ordeal and once she was certain she drifted over to Link himself. He was standing there proudly holding the last fused shadow, seeing her he smiled. Presenting her with the fused shadow he nodded, ready to resume their journey apparently unaware of the guest she had brought along with her.

"Alright back to Lanayru!" she said.

Link nodded his approval again. She created a portal to take the two of them back to the light spirit. With the very last reserves of her energy she created one final portal underneath the body of the other Link, she watched him be carried up into the portal just as her body began to break apart and do the same.


End file.
